Laura Forczyk will discuss women in the space sector focusing on women astronauts and women leaders both in industry and in government. The exciting time period we’re in has given us women commercial astronauts as well as government astronauts. She will end her presentation with an overview of Artemis, which is NASA’s program to send the first woman to the Moon.

About Laura Forczyk

A scientist with entrepreneurial leanings, Laura Seward Forczyk desired to dance on the Moon and explore the stars from a young age. She is the owner of Astralytical, a space consulting firm focusing on space industry, policy, and science.

Laura has researched astrophysics and planetary science at three NASA centers, flown two parabolic “Zero G” campaigns, and earned NASTAR suborbital astronaut wings. She is a NASA Subject Matter Expert for planetary science missions. She serves on the advisory boards for the Lifeboat Foundation and the Society of Women in Space Exploration and serves as a mentor for the Brooke Owens Fellowship program. She is the author of Rise of the Space Age Millennials.

Prior to forming her own company, Laura ran the Florida office of international startup Swiss Space Systems working to establish parabolic and suborbital flight at KSC, throughout North America, and globally. Laura has also worked as a scientific analyst for the nonprofit Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (ISS National Laboratory) to facilitate over 50 experiments on the International Space Station for the benefit of life on Earth.

Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in astrophysics from Florida Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in astrophysics from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and has conducted doctoral studies in planetary science at the University of Central Florida.